Enigma

Chapter 3

Lillian watched the scarred man- Noah- leave with a hard glare.

He was obviously the alpha of the territory they'd landed on. And he was the scariest man she had ever met. She kept her emotions well locked up, though, refusing to let her fear show.

It wasn't the scars that made him so terrifying- three claw marks beginning in the right temple then spanning down to the bottom of his cheek, barely missing his eye and touching the side of his lip, leaving gaps in his jet black beard. Not counting the ones on his bare chest and arms.

No. His sheer presence radiated authority and power. And when the amber of his eyes glowed, she could feel the waves of power choking her. Even her boys turned meek, clutching her shirt with tight, tiny fists.

She wondered where her torn sweater ended up. She was only thankful the doctor was a woman, she couldn't bear the thought of a man's hands on her while she was unconscious and defenseless.

"Mommy, are we going back to get granny?"

Lillian looked at the naked four year olds she treasured more than life itself. She couldn't think about Lydia. Not now. She needed to be strong and Lydia's final moments threatened to drown her in a well of grief.

Also, telling the kids they'd never see their granny again didn't seem prudent. Not mere hours after they'd been chased by a group of ill-intending men.

So she distracted them. She asked about what happened when she hadn't been awake. The boys were more than happy to recount every detail. She tucked them under the blanket even though they didn't look cold, and listened. She stifled a shudder when they told her she was carried by a man. Considering the half-dressed state of the two males she'd seen so far, she didn't particularly appreciate the fact she was plastered to a naked male chest all the way here.

At least they were alive.

A knock on the door interrupted the boys' story. The doctor, Eva. She brought a stack of clothes and blankets. Lillian apologized after seeing the state of the bed. The sheets were damp and streaked with mud.

"Don't worry about it. We'll get them cleaned tomorrow. You can use the other beds." Eva pointed vaguely around the room. "You can also use the shower, there's hot water and everything you may need."

"Thanks." Lillian attempted a smile at the woman. She needed to have at least one friendly person in her corner if she wanted to survive.

"You're safe here tonight. Just have a good rest and we'll talk tomorrow."

They kept saying that. Eva left shortly afterwards. Lillian stumbled to the bathroom with Elijah and Ezra. Unlike the room- which was all wood- the bathroom was tiled in shades of white and cream. It was a basic bathtub with a shower, a sink, a mirror and some cabinets.

She took care of the kids first. After giving them a good scrub in the bath, she bundled them in the clothes Eva brought. They fit perfectly. Then as the boys waited inside the bathroom, she took a shower.

The hot water felt like heaven. But it was still a stranger's bathroom. She wasn't comfortable in it. She couldn't savor the shower as much as she would've liked.

"Baby?" Lillian asked Ezra later when the kids were tucked inside the blanket with her. Elijah was already snoring. The single bed was crowded but she needed the comfort of their warm bodies more than they needed hers. Lillian kept the bedside lamp on. "Do you know how you guys did that trick? when you spoke in my head."

Shadow and light played on Ezra's face as he yawned.

"We do that all the time," he replied off-handedly, as if it was something everyone could do.